WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The rise in cost of fuel may have some boat consumers concerned.
But some marine dealers at the Palm Beach International Boat Show remain optimistic.
As thousands of people come to this year’s boat show, many locally owned boat companies are hoping to make big sales amid the price of fuel going up.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports the price of diesel has doubled over the past two years, from averaging $2.40 per gallon in 2020 to more than $5 per gallon this year.
One Lake Worth Beach marine dealership says the industry has been working toward lighter, more fuel efficient 4-cycle engines and even the largest boats at the show all feature outboard motors.
"They’re not too bad. They’re more fuel efficient than they used to be in the old days, the four stroke motors. Fuel is definitely a scary thing. But I think a lot of people, we’re in South Florida, I think people still are going to go fishing, they want to use their boat, they want to take the family out," said Steve Sprague with Tuppen's Marine & Tackle. "I think we’re still going to sell a lot of boats, but it's definitely something I’m sure it's going to feel a little bit of a squeeze there."
Another key to point out is inventory.
There’s a lot more and more boats are coming in to show and to be sold compared to last year’s shortages due to the pandemic.
